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The main purpose of the current study was to develop and validate a scale of perceived attributes of the interactive whiteboard (IW) for the mathematics class. Rogers' Diffusion of Innovations Theory served as the theoretical framework. Two groups of participants in Turkey were employed in this study. The first group consisted of 350 middle school students (177 female, 173 male). The second group consisted of 557 high school students (288 female, 269 male). The results of confirmatory factor analysis supported construct validity. However, not enough evidence was available to support its convergent and discriminant validity. The results of multigroup analysis supported measurement invariance across two schools--one middle school and one high school. The perceptions of students toward IW were generally positive. We believe that the scale developed for this study can be used in schools in which IW has been implemented and may contribute to educational technology reform efforts by providing metrics for the degree of success in implementing IW specifically and possibly other forms of instructional technology.

The computer is part of the information and communication age, and the Internet today is the most used communication tool. Studies have shown that there is a relationship between problematic Internet use and loneliness. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between problematic Internet use sub-scales and loneliness. In this study, data were collected from the college students at an Anatolian University in Turkey. The participants of this study consisted of 392 undergraduates. Of the participants, 43% are male (n = 167) and 57% female (n = 225). The average age for the participants is 22 years old. The Problematic Internet Use Scale and the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) Loneliness Scale were used as data collection instruments. In the present study, structural equation modeling (SEM) procedures are used to explore the relationships that exist among the variables. The findings of the study revealed that while university students' social benefit/social comfort of Internet has a direct effect on their excessive Internet use and negative consequences, it is related to the loneliness level indirectly. In addition, it is seen in the research model that with an increase in the negative consequences of the Internet, the loneliness level was raised. Another result from the study is that when university students' excessive Internet use increased, their loneliness level decreased.

The main purpose of the current study was to develop a 50-item personality scale in Turkish and Spanish based on Big Five Model of Personality and to assess its construct validity and reliability. We also compared the personality of pre-service teachers enrolled in the department of elementary education in Turkey and Spain. The participants were 555 pre-service teachers enrolled in elementary education programs at a Turkish university (280) and at a Spanish university (275). Results of confirmatory factor analysis supported the construct validity of the scale in both samples. However, 10 items had low factor loadings in their respective dimensions. Thus, they were removed from the scale. Findings regarding the comparison of Turkish and Spanish pre-service teachers revealed that they share similar personality traits; however, significant personality differences between Turkish and Spanish pre-service elementary school teachers emerged. Results of "t" tests on each dimension of personality revealed that the Turkish pre-service teachers' Openness and Neuroticism scores were statistically higher than the Spanish pre-service teachers. On the other hand, the Spanish pre-service teachers' Conscientiousness score was found to be statistically higher than that of the Turkish pre-service teachers.

Using Program for International Student Achievement (PISA) 2009 data we study the transfer of knowledge among reading, mathematics, and science among Turkish students. Both Science and Reading are significant predictors of Mathematics scores, although clearly Science is a much stronger predictor; the transfer from Science to Mathematics is much greater than is the transfer from Reading to Mathematics. SCHOOLID is the single strongest predictor of Mathematics outcomes, likely reflecting the importance of socioeconomic and regional or urban/rural differences in the quality of education available to students. Both Mathematics and Reading are significant predictors of Science scores, although Mathematics is a stronger predictor; the transfer from Mathematics to Science is greater than is the transfer from Reading to Science. SCHOOLID is a weaker predictor of Science outcomes than are Mathematics scores, suggesting that the importance of socioeconomic and regional or urban/rural differences in the quality of education available to students may have slightly less consequence for Science outcomes than does the transfer effect from Mathematics to Science. Both Science and Mathematics are significant predictors of Reading scores, but the transfer from Science to Reading is much more robust than the transfer from Mathematics to Reading. SCHOOLID and Science are nearly identically strong predictors of Reading outcomes, suggesting that the importance of socioeconomic and regional or urban/rural differences in the quality of education available is on a par with the Science transfer to Reading. Implications of these findings are discussed.

Using Program for International Student Achievement (PISA) 2009 data we study the transfer of knowledge among reading, mathematics, and science among Turkish students. Both Science and Reading are significant predictors of Mathematics scores, although clearly Science is a much stronger predictor; the transfer from Science to Mathematics is much greater than is the transfer from Reading to Mathematics. SCHOOLID is the single strongest predictor of Mathematics outcomes, likely reflecting the importance of socioeconomic and regional or urban/rural differences in the quality of education available to students. Both Mathematics and Reading are significant predictors of Science scores, although Mathematics is a stronger predictor; the transfer from Mathematics to Science is greater than is the transfer from Reading to Science. SCHOOLID is a weaker predictor of Science outcomes than are Mathematics scores, suggesting that the importance of socioeconomic and regional or urban/rural differences in the quality of education available to students may have slightly less consequence for Science outcomes than does the transfer effect from Mathematics to Science. Both Science and Mathematics are significant predictors of Reading scores, but the transfer from Science to Reading is much more robust than the transfer from Mathematics to Reading. SCHOOLID and Science are nearly identically strong predictors of Reading outcomes, suggesting that the importance of socioeconomic and regional or urban/rural differences in the quality of education available is on a par with the Science transfer to Reading. Implications of these findings are discussed. (Contains 3 tables.)

The main purpose of the current study was to examine the utility and usefulness of Holland's Theory of Personalities in Work Environments to understand the match between personality and the desire for music education. The participants included 99 pre-service music teachers in Turkey. The findings revealed that the pre-service music teachers were, foremost, artistic. To a lesser degree, they were social and conventional. In addition, significant relationships existed between personality types and satisfaction with studying in the department of music education. Based on these findings, it seems that Holland's Theory provides a useful framework for understanding music pre-service teachers' satisfaction with studying music education. Future researchers may use this theory with practicing music teachers to examine its explanatory and predictive power in the workplace.

The study explored the influence of work experience on adult part-time students' academic success as defined by their cumulative grade point average. The sample consisted of 614 part-time students from four polytechnic institutions in Malaysia. The study identified six factors to measure the perceived influence of work experiences--positive belief, negative belief, intrinsic motivation, learning orientation, deep learning approach, and surface learning approach. The results indicated that lower academic success was associated with higher negative belief, lower intrinsic motivation and adopting surface learning approach. Students with a deeper learning approach, greater intrinsic motivation, and greater learning orientation tended to perceive higher positive belief. In contrast, students who favored surface learning approaches were more likely to perceive negatively the impact of work experiences on their academic learning. The best-fitted path model demonstrated students' academic success was affected negatively by negative belief and weakly by intrinsic motivation. Other factors did not have significant direct effects on students' academic success. These findings suggest that the success of adult part-time students does not rely on their positive attitude alone, but also could depend on the effectiveness of the classroom environment, teaching and learning strategies, and assessment methods.

A central challenge for higher education today is to understand the diversity and complexity of nontraditional students' life experiences and how these factors influence their academic success. To better understand these issues, this study explored the role of demographic characteristics and employment variables in predicting the academic success of part-time students at four polytechnic institutes in Malaysia. Demographic characteristics studied included respondent's age, gender, marital status, number of children, parent's educational level, and financial resources. Employment variables assessed were number of years working, job relatedness to the program, job satisfaction, and monthly salary. A total of 614 part-time students completed the survey. Results indicated that being an older student, being female, paying for their own education, and having high job satisfaction were statistically significant predictors of part-time students' academic success. Understanding the effects of demographic characteristics and employment variables on students' academic success might help administrators and educators to develop teaching and learning processes, support services, and policies to enhance part-time students' academic success.

In the current study, the Distance Education Student Satisfaction Model, estimated as a structural equation model, is proposed to understand better what predicts student satisfaction from online learning environments. In the present study, the following variables are employed based on the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) (Davis, Bagozzi, & Warshaw, 1989) and literature: computer knowledge, flexibility of distance education, usefulness of distance education, and distance education satisfaction. Results suggest that as long as students have the skills to use online tools and perceive that distance education is a useful and flexible way of learning, communicating, and sharing, their enjoyment from online instruction will be promoted. Ultimately, this satisfaction may lead to higher levels of engagement, learning, and success in the distance education setting. Data collected from 195 undergraduate students are analyzed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences and Analysis of Moment Structures statistical software. Implications of the findings of the present study are crucial for instructors, practitioners, and institutions planning to offer or currently engaged in offering distance education courses. (Contains 1 figure and 1 table.)